Boom mounting for microphones



Oct. 7, 1947. P. s. VENEKLASEN BOOM MOUNTING FOR MICROPHONES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1945 l'zweaziioai- 73M 0? V vilii'oa neya O :t..7,1947. P. s. VENEKLASEN 2,428,746

BOOM MOUNTING FOR MICROPHONES Filed April 26, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ot. 7, 1947. P. s. VENEKLASEN BOOM MOUNTI NG FOR MICRO PHONES V Filed April 26, 1945 Patented Oct. 7, 1947 2,428,746 BOOM MOUNTING FOR MICROPHONES Paul S. Veneklasen, Saugus, Mass, America, as

the United States of assignor to represented by the Executive Secretary of the Office of Scientific Research and Development Application April 26, 1945, Serial No. 590,411

1 Claim. 179-156) This invention relates to microphones and more especially to a boom mounting for supporting microphones such as a noise-cancelling type microphone in a speaking position.

Noise-cancelling microphones, also referred to as differential microphones, have been found to provide improved communication efficiency in extreme noise fields as compared with standard hand-held or throat microphones. However, the advantages of the noise-cancelling microphone are largely oiiset by difficulties resulting from the means of suspending it before the lips of the operator. The suspension means essentially consists of a strap arrangement or harness which is held against the face of the operator. The harness urges a frame member against the upper lip at either side of the nose. The frame supports the microphone in a position directly in front of the lips in a position which is recognized as being proper for efficient use of the microphone.

In actual use the harness may, under some conditions, cause skin irritation, and the frame may cause discomfort from excessive pressure against the upper lip. The microphone, when supported in this manner, may also become moved out of position under actual flying conditions, and this affects communication. There is also the problem of interference of the suspension means with other flying equipment such as oxygen masks, goggles, and the like.

An object of the invention therefore is to provide an improved means of suspending a noisecancelling microphone before the lips of an operator and to devise a boom suspension which overcomes the difiiculties above noted by avoiding all contact with the face and by providing for a greatly increased range of adjustability. Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, positive, efficient, and easily operated boom suspension for a microphone. Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the boom mounting of the invention in an operating position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boom member and a microphone;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the boom mounting;

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. .5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-4 of Fig. 3; and I ,member and rivet in the bracket.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification of the boom mounting.

The boom mounting of the invention is made up of a boom member, means for adjustably securing the boom member to a-headset, and means for supporting a microphone in the boom member. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, I provide a boom formed of a spring steel wire bent upon itself in the manner shown. Means for adjustably securing the boom to a headset and means for attaching a microphone to the boom have been provided. to cooperate with a boom of the wire type. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific structure hereinafter described either with respect to the boom or its method of attachment to a headset or the means for supporting a microphone. Also'the boom mounting is not limited to use with noise-cancelling microphones and may be employed with conventional types.

In Fig. 1 I have diagrammatically illustrated the boo-m mounting of the invention in an operative position and attached to a headset of the type in which a helmet 2 is fitted with an earphone socket 4 carrying an earphone 6. Secured to the socket member by some suitable means as rivets is a bracket 8 which may for example consist of a piece of sheet metal of substantially U-shape (Fig. 1). At the lower side of the bracket is adjustably secured a suspension member i9 consisting of another thin piece of sheet metal which is rounded at its upper end and which flares downwardly and outwardly, terminating in a reversely bent portion to form a clip H, as may be better seen in Fig. 4. A rivet I2 is pivotally mounted through the bracket 8 and passes through the suspension 10 which is fixed thereto. Interposed between the head of the rivet and the bracket 8 is a cupped washer l4 which tends to pinch the bracket against the suspension. The effect of this is to maintain the suspension in a fixed position and a positive rotative force is required to turn the suspension [6 denotes washers located at the side of the suspension member and i8 indicates a snap fastener also fixed at the outer end of the rivet (Figs. 3 and 4).

The clip portion II at the lower end of the suspension member is formed with an opening ll through which is slidably mounted a boom member20 (Fig. 3). At the front end of the clip is provided a tab 22 which, together with a second tab member 24 on a clip 26 is also secured to the boom 20, may be gripped between the thumb Also provided in the clip portion H is aspririg tongue 28 formed with a tab 30,.asshown in Figs.

3 and 4. The tongue normally "assumes a depressed position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, .so that it constitutes a stop against which'z-the end .of the boom may come to rest when" advanced all the way ahead. The stop thus prevents accidentalremoval of the boom from the clip. Whenever it is desired to disengage the boom from the clip the bracket and suspension members as well as Y the adjustment structures, may be resorted to.

In the actual operation of the boom mount-' ing, a number of desirable adjustments are available, which are particularly important in flying. As noted in Fig. 1, the pivoted mounting of the suspension member on thegbracket permits rotation of the 'boom mountingsoithat.the boom and microphone assembly may be moved away from a position in front of the face into two ..standby positions. One of the standby positions "consists in rotating the boom and microphone upwardly and allowing it to lie against the helmet --2, :a'shas been indicated by means of 'the .dottediline showing. The second standby position'i'sarrived at by'pivoting the boom and microphone assembly downwardly away from the face completely, the tab 30 and the tab 22 are grasped between thumb and forefinger, and forced toward one another. This causes :the spring tongue to move outwardly'away from the clip-and the-boom fillr'may then "be readily removed from the clip.

Boom 29 is preferably formed -of a relatively stin -spring wire bent :into a substantially rectangularshape, with the front end of the rectangle increasing in width and being ofiset to provide a noise-cancelling microphone support, as'illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. :A microphone 3251's adjustably secured in the boom by means .of a flat spring 3 3 which is fastened to one side .oft'he'microphoneand formed with curved edges which :slidably engage overthe boom member. Spaced rearwardly from *the'microphone 32 is a:sjtop 36 ffixed'on the boom, to assist in positioning the microphone. "By placing the thumb againstthe stop member 36 and the forefinger against the microphone, it is possible for the operator to move the microphone on the offset portion of the boom, and thus obtain a correct positioning of the microphone before the lips.

Electrical Lconductors 38 are connected at the lower-side of 'the'microphone as shown in Fig. 3, and slidably attached to the conductor cable is a snap fastener 40 adapted to engage with the 5 snap fastener portion l8 already referred to as mounted on the suspension .member W. When the =-two-fastener portions are interlocked in the manner illustrated 'in Fig. l, a sudden pull on the cord 38 has little effect on the adjustment of the boom since the force is 'l6CBlV6d,0l'l the axis .of the rivet [2. The position of the wire or :cord looped over the end of the boom 20 has been shown in the drawings for the purpose of more fully disclosing the clip "construction. actual use the cord is completely separated from the boom.

. Theboom mounting=may be modified in vari- 'ous::respects and may also be utilized .with other types'of equipment. For example, in Fig. 6 I have illustratedasound-powered unit as. This type of equipment is not furnished with a socketmemf bar 'but :is customarily :provided with "a pivoted hanger-1E5 which extends below the receiver. .In accordance with the invention, I attach to the member- 46 a bracket 48 which may consist of a thin metal piece, tapered at its loweriendh To the bracket ithe'b'oom mounting -structure already described, including the suspension memb'erslll, ispivotally secured byso'me suitable means as .arivet transversely. 'lo'cated "therethrough. Various other changes and modifications. may

i be employed. In place of the wire boom, sheet metal and other substances formed into a Sim! ilareshape may be utilized. Also, changes in of the into a position in which the boom rests upon the chest o'f' the operator, as has also been indicated by the dotted line showing of Fig. 1. In providing for these adjustments-it is pointed out ,that the cuppedwasher means tends toholdthe boom and microphone in a relatively firm DOSilZiOll wherever desired, thus insuring stability under various conditions. This result'is obtained while permitting the boomrmember to be readily'swun V in either one of the standby positions.

-A second adjustment available inusing the boom-mountingzis obtained by the slidable mounting of the boom member in the clip ll, as has already'been pointed 01112.. The adjustability pro- .vided-here permits movement 'of the boom forwa-rdly and rearwardly to accommodate difier-' ent head sizes and thus furnish an accurate means for positioning the microphone at the precise ;point before the lips required for, good communication. The abilityto retract the boom in the clip is alsomade useof in swinging the boom into standby positions, For example, in

placing the "boom in the 'raisedposition noted: in Fig. 1, it -may also be desired to slide the boom rearwardly a slight distance. Still a third change may be carried outby the slidable arrangementjof the boomin the clip, which consists in completely disengaging. the boom from the-clip member in the manner-above described, and yet preventing accidental removal at such times as this isnot desired. It should alsobe-observed that th e:adjustment of the boom for purposes of positioning :this member before the lips can be carried out with'one hand, thus leaving ithe'other' hand free for different-operations.

boom, two hands are required butit is a very quick and easily carried'out operation. A fourth adjustment is provided by the --slidable mounting of the'microphone and the offset shape of the frontend of the'boom. This, adjustment'can be carriedout in conjunction with rotation of-the-boom on the bracketto obtain fur-, ther desired changes in positioning. themicrophone before the lips. The means of attaching the microphone are also convenient for replacement purposes. v

In-comparison with other noise-cancelling microphones supporting means, the structure of:

the invention eliminates all contact of supporting parts with the face, and in particular the sensi tive upper lip. Consequently, all pos's'i-bility'of dismeans is present. The'arrangement of the'boo'm mounting at the side of the'face and in front, of the lips is particularly desirablerin that'it In the case of complete disengagement avoids interference with other equipment such as goggles or oxygen masks. Finally, it is pointed out that a sudden jerk or pull on the conductor cable will not easily disturb the position of the microphone since the force is taken up on the axis of the rivet members.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

An article of the character described comprising a bracket member adapted to be secured to a headset, a suspension member pivotally secured to the lower side of the bracket, means for retarding pivotal movement of the suspension member relative to the bracket, 9. clip portion formed at the under side of the suspension member and having a slot provided therein, a boom member slidably received in the said slot, tab means located on the boom for advancing and retracting the boom in the said clip portion, stop means for preventing removal of the boom from the clip, said boom consisting of a stiff wire member bent into rectangular shape and adapted to as- 6 sume a position in front of the mount, a noisecancelling microphone slidably supported in the front end of the boom at the inwardly turned portion, a stop member fixed to the boom in spaced relation to the microphone, electrical conductor wires attached to the microphone, a snap fastener adjustably secured to the conductor wires and said snap fastener adapted to be connected to the bracket independently of movement of the suspension member.

PAUL S. VENEKLASEN.

I REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

